Reunion Population 2023 (Live)

984,892
Population Rank
Growth Rate
2023 World Percentage
Land Area
2,512
The current population of Reunion is 984,892 based on projections of the latest United Nations data. The UN estimates the July 1, 2023 population at 981,796.

Reunion Growth Rate

Reunion Population 2023 (Live)

Reunion Population Clock

Reunion Population (as of 11/25/2023)984,892
Last UN Estimate (July 1, 2023)981,796
Births per Day38
Deaths per Day15
Migrations per Day-2
Net Change per Day21
Population Change Since Jan. 16,909

Components of Population Change

One birth every 37.9 minutes
One death every 96 minutes
One emigrant every 720 minutes
Net gain of one person every 68.57 minutes

Reunion Population Clock

City
Population
Saint-Denis137,195
Saint-Paul99,307
Saint-Pierre76,655
Le Tampon69,986
Saint-Andre48,674
Saint-Louis47,881
Le Port40,771
Saint-Benoit35,310
Saint-Joseph33,694
Sainte-Marie31,636
showing: 10 rows

Reunion Population Density Map

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
1955301,3583.87%120.5416144
1960365,9943.96%146.4015840
1965427,6123.16%171.0415937
1970473,9252.08%189.5715932
1975515,5861.7%206.2316035
1980551,6741.36%220.6716135
1985599,2991.67%239.7216135
1990658,9921.92%263.6016035
1995725,9781.96%290.3916035
2000785,4241.59%314.1715934
2005833,6561.2%333.4616231
2010890,1301.32%356.0516332
2015922,4950.72%369.0016234
2017932,7390.66%373.1016234
2018941,1870.91%376.4716233
2019949,4190.88%379.7716233
2020957,8220.89%383.1316232
2022974,0520.87%389.6216232
2023981,7960.85%392.7216233
showing: 19 rows

Reunion Population by Year (Historical)

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Year
Population
Growth Rate
Density (km²)
Population Rank
Density Rank
2023981,7960.85%392.7216233
2024989,3500.83%395.7416233
2025996,7430.8%398.7016233
20301,031,8220.69%412.7316233
20351,063,8290.61%425.5316233
20401,091,4030.51%436.5616333
20451,112,8200.39%445.1316434
20501,127,2520.26%450.9016435
20551,135,3410.14%454.1416435
20601,139,5330.07%455.8116336
20651,142,2270.05%456.8916237
20701,145,1070.05%458.0416237
20751,147,5000.04%459.0016237
20801,148,2150.01%459.2916135
20851,145,834-0.04%458.3316235
20901,139,338-0.11%455.7416035
20951,128,373-0.19%451.3515934
showing: 17 rows

Reunion Population by Year (Projections)

Reunion Population Pyramid 2023

Reunion Median Age

5.404

Total

4.504

Male

5.486

Female

Reunion Population by Age

There are people over age 18 in Reunion.

Census Years

Year
Date
199015 March 1990
19998 March 1999
20061 January 2006
20151 January 2015
showing: 4 rows

Reunion Population Pyramid

Saint-Denis is the administrative capital of Réunion, and the most populous commune among all French overseas departments with a population of 150,000. Nearby Saint-Marie has a population of around 40,000. Saint-Paul has an estimated population of 105,000, followed by Saint-Pierre at 80,000.

Réunion Demographics

Réunion has great ethnic diversity, with groups of African, Indian, Malagasy, Chinese and European descent. All ethnic groups are from immigrants who came to the island from Africa, Asia and Europe over the last three hundred years, and there are no indigenous people. These groups married together very early, and the population today is mostly of mixed race.

The number of each ethnicity is unknown, as France bans ethnic censuses. Estimates place the white population at 25%, with Indians accounting for 25% and those of Chinese ancestry accounting for 3%. Those of Gujarati and South Indian origin account for the majority of Indians on Réunion. Creoles, which refers to people born on the island, regardless of ethnic identity, account for the majority of the population.

The most common religion is Roman Catholicism, although many also practice Buddhism, Hinduism, Islam and Chinese folk religion.

Réunion History

Réunion has little recorded history before the Portuguese arrived in the 15th century, although it was familiar to Arab traders. The arrival of Portuguese explorers in 1507 was the first European contact with the area, and it was uninhabited at the time. The island was named Santa Apolonia and remained untouched for about 100 years. It was then occupied and claimed for France in 1642, when Jacques Pronis deported French mutineers to the island. The convicts were later returned to France and the island was named Île Bourbon in 1649.

The name of Réunion was given in 1793, although it was temporarily named in honor of Napoleon Bonaparte in 1801, and then again renamed Bourbon until the French Revolution of 1848.

From the 17th through the 19th century, French immigration, as well as an influx of African, Chinese and Indian immigrants, gave the island an ethnic mix. Most of the immigrants from outside of Europe were slaves prior to 1848, and then many were indentured workers afterward.

Between 1968 and 1982, about 1,600 children from the island were relocated to France. Réunion exile Jean-Jacques Martial brought legal action against a politician in 2002 for kidnapping and deportation of minors.

Reunion Population Rank 2023
Area (km²)
2,511
2023 Growth Rate
GDP (IMF)
-
GDP (UN)
-

Reunion - General Info

  1. World Population Prospects (2022 Revision) - United Nations population estimates and projections.
  2. GeoNames

Sources